


This

by magentaandlavender



Category: Openly Straight Series - Bill Konigsberg, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Being Your True Self, Ben Carver POV, History Jokes, Inspired by Novel, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 09:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13385250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magentaandlavender/pseuds/magentaandlavender
Summary: You never know when you will come across something that will change your life...Inspired by Chapter 3 of Becky Albertalli's AMAZING Simon vs. the Homosapien's Agenda but starring Ben Carver from the Openly Straight Series by Bill Konigsberg.





	This

As he sat with his laptop, Ben quietly chuckled to himself. This history meme between George Washington and King George III was just too funny.

**England: colour**

**America: color**

**England: humour**

**America: humor**

**England: flavour**

**America: flavor**

**England: What the fuck are you doing?**

**America: Getting rid of u**

Yes, it was simple and grammatically incorrect but Ben always appreciated a good American history joke. He just never realized that so many other people did as well. Certainly no one from his hometown did. It was one of things he liked about Tumblr. It made him feel a little less alone.

So here he was on a random Friday night, reading through the history meme’s on his Tumblr dashboard. Ben’s personal Tumblr didn’t have any posts or followers, but that was fine. Tumblr was more of a private escape for him anyway.

After about an hour of aimless scrolling, Ben searched for and clicked on the link for the NatickNexus. The NatickNexus (or the Nex as it was known around campus) was supposed to be a place where the students at the Natick Academy and Lonna Grace, Natick Academy’s sister school in Wellesley, could interact beyond the twice a year school dances.

What the Nex had turned into was a love confessional for teens who attend boarding school just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Honestly, Ben didn’t really have any interest in who was in love with who but he checked it from time to time so he could at least try and follow the locker room conversations.

Most of the posts were highly inappropriate and Ben sincerely hoped this wasn’t run by a teacher or school administrator. However, there were some posts that were users just sharing quotes or song lyrics they liked and a few posts about books and movies. Perhaps all hope wasn’t lost for his peer group. Maybe there were other history buffs out there or other students who liked to read classical literature and have philosophical discussions.

And that’s where he found it.

While it wasn’t the most beautiful thing Ben had ever read, the words were real, deep, and honest. Ben almost missed the post at first but when he saw it, something about it just spoke to him. It talked about types and labels and how tiring it was to try and be all of the things you were labeled as. It talked about mislabels and about why people have to fit into molds and can’t just be who they are without judgment.

Well damn. If that wasn’t the reason that Ben came to Natick in the first place. To shed the labels and judgment of his family and home town.

In Alton, Ben was a “nerd” for wanting to discuss history, philosophy, and ideas. But when he came to Natick and made the soccer and baseball teams, he was suddenly a “jock,” a label he would never use to describe himself but since it wasn’t negative, he went with it. But inside, Ben always knew he was so much more than either of those labels.

He read it over and over again. At first Ben felt exposed. It was as if he put the words out there himself. But the more he read it and the more he thought about it, the more the feeling of exposure became a feeling of excitement. Maybe he wasn’t as alone as he thought. It reminded Ben of the first time he read Emerson’s “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment,” in freshman English. Perhaps there were others out there who were trying to become their authentic selves but were struggling to shed the labels placed on them.

Ben had to know this person. He just had to. But what to write?

And two hours later, Ben was still having that exact same thought as he tried to come up with a comment. He wanted to write something just as profound but he couldn’t quite capture everything he wanted to say.  

_Jesus._ He thought. _It really shouldn’t be this hard. Just write something! Anything!_

Eventually, Ben wrote the only comment he could think of: “THIS” followed by his private email address: carving.out.my.place@gmail.com.

Ben was still thinking about the post and the person who wrote it as he laid awake in bed. There was someone else out there who understood about searching for the truth from within, about self-acceptance, and self-love. Someone who thought beyond what society wants and chooses to be themselves, despite the hardships, so that they are alive in their soul.

God, Ben just had to know this person.

The next morning, Ben had an email from living_wo_labels@gmail.com.

And he did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my short story! Visit me on [Tumblr](http://soareweall.tumblr.com)!


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